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Beef Chile Colorado Recipe

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★★★★★

5 from 97 reviews

Beef Chile Colorado is a classic Mexican stew featuring tender chunks of beef chuck simmered in a rich, smoky sauce made from toasted guajillo, ancho, and chile de arbol peppers. This flavorful dish is perfect served with warm corn tortillas and garnished with fresh diced onions, cilantro, radishes, and lime wedges, delivering a robust and satisfying meal.

Ingredients

Scale

Main Ingredients

  • 3 lbs. beef chuck
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 6 guajillo chilies, stems and seeds removed
  • 4 ancho chilies, stems and seeds removed
  • 3 chile de arbol, stems and seeds removed
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
  • 2 1/2 cups beef broth
  • 2 fresh bay leaves

To Serve

  • Corn tortillas, warmed
  • White onion, diced
  • Cilantro, chopped
  • Radishes, sliced
  • Lime wedges

Instructions

  1. Toast and soften chilies: In a dry skillet, toast the guajillo, ancho, and chile de arbol chilies over medium heat for 2-3 minutes while stirring frequently, until they become fragrant. Transfer the toasted chilies into a saucepan along with the chopped yellow onion and garlic cloves. Cover with water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 10 minutes or until the chilies are softened.
  2. Prepare chili sauce: Using a slotted spoon, transfer the softened chilies, onion, and garlic to a blender along with 1 cup of the soaking liquid from the saucepan. Add ground cumin, coriander, dried Mexican oregano, and beef broth to the blender. Blend on high speed until the mixture is very smooth. Taste the sauce and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to your preference.
  3. Brown the beef: Cut the beef chuck into 2-inch cubes. Season the beef cubes with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss the beef with flour to coat evenly. Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the neutral oil. When the oil is hot, place the beef cubes in a single layer and brown them on all sides. You may need to brown the beef in batches to avoid overcrowding. Remove any excess oil after browning all the beef.
  4. Simmer beef in sauce: Return all the browned beef to the dutch oven. Pour just enough of the prepared chili sauce over the beef to cover it. Save any leftover sauce for freezing or future use. Add the two fresh bay leaves to the pot. Cover the pot with its lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the beef gently for 2 hours or until it becomes very tender and easily shredded with a fork.
  5. Serve: Skim off any excess oil from the surface of the stew. Serve the Beef Chile Colorado hot alongside warmed corn tortillas. Offer diced white onion, chopped cilantro, sliced radishes, and lime wedges as fresh toppings for added flavor and texture.

Notes

  • To remove seeds and stems from dried chilies, cut them open and shake out the seeds before toasting.
  • Be sure to toast the dried chilies carefully to avoid burning and bitterness.
  • Simmering low and slow is key to tenderizing the beef and developing rich flavor.
  • Leftover chili sauce can be refrigerated or frozen for later use.
  • Adjust the number of chile de arbol peppers based on your desired spice level.
  • If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can reduce the sauce slightly before adding to the beef.

Keywords: Beef Chile Colorado, Mexican beef stew, guajillo chili, ancho chili, spicy beef stew, traditional Mexican recipe, beef chuck stew, slow simmer beef

Find it online: https://miarosetti.com/beef-chile-colorado-recipe/